Automatic gas shutoff device for printing presses



May 27, 1952 w. F. BURKE EI'AL.

AUTOMATIC GAS SHUTOFF DEVICE FOR PRINTING PRESSES Filed Sept. 8. 1947 E 5 Z H U5 N E p 0 ML u Mm A. W% W Patented May 27, 1952 AUTOMATIC GAS SHUTOFF DEVICE FOR PRINTING PRES'SES Robert L. Essex, Athens, The McBee Company,

William F. Burke and Ohio, assignors to Athens, Ohio, a corpo ration Application September 8, 1947, Serial No. 772,673

5 Claims.

' materials.

Some printing presses incorporate a heating device, usually one or more gas burners arranged transversely ofthe direction of travel of the paper through the press, for rapidly heating or drying the matter impressed on the paper'by the printing rolls. The rate at which the paper travels over the burners is so chosen as to insure heating or dryingo'f the matter without exposing the aper to the heat for a sufiic'i'ent period as to cause its ignition or charring. The gas passes to the burners "through an electrically controlled valve, which is closed automatically upon opening the circuit to the press drive motor or motors, for the purpose of stopping the press ffeedandfshut- 'ing ofi the gas flame. At times, the accumulated gas in the lines between the valve and bu'rner outlets is 'sufiicient to continue burner operation during the slowing and arresting of the papers travel through the press, allowing thegas flame 'to ignitelthe paper.

The present invention has for an object the provision of a device for preventing continued application of the flame or other heat source, to the paper upon arresting the printing press operation.

Another object -'of the invention is to :provide a device which closes the burner outlets upon opening of the printing press motor circuit, thereby preventing any gas accumulation between the main gas valve and burneroutlet'from sustaining the flame.

The invention is exemplified in the following description and illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view of a printing press embodying a form of the present invention.

'Fig. 2 is an isometric view of a portion of the gas burner and the burner outlet closing device.

Fig. 3 is a combined side'elevational and crosssectional view of the gas burner device in open position.

Fig.4 is a vi'ew similar to Fig. 3 'with the gas burner device in closed position.

:As disclosed in thedrawings, the invention has been applied to aprinting press modified to print wax carbon spots it on paper H. The web of paper II is fed from a suitablesupply :over guide and feed rolls l2 and between a :lower printing roll l3 and an upper impression roll 14, then passing over one :or more gas burners 1:5 extending transversely of the direction in whlch lthe paper is being fed, and thence continuing around adjacent chilled rolls l 6 and over'an upper-guide roll H. The wax carbon material is fed from' a fountain 18 onto an ink roll [9, which suitably applies the material onto the printing roll l3, which, in turn, impresses it upon the underside of the web I.

The rolls are appropriately synchronized in speed and the paper web is fed past theburners 15 at such a rate as to insureremelting of the low melting point waxes in the wax carbon spots impressed upon the web, the rate of travel of the web being such as to prevent its ignition by the gas burner flames. If ordinary printed areas were marked'on the paper, the printing'ink would be dried upon feeding of the paper past the burners I 5.

The gas is fed through an inlet pipe 20 into a main gas valve 2|, which may be electrically controlled-as by means of a solenoid (not shown), from which the gas flows into a main header '22 and into branch pipes or lines 23 leading to the burners 15. Actually, there is a suitable valve and air inlet for each burner, of usual arrangement, thatis not disclosed since it does not, by itself, form any part of the present invention. The burners I 5 extending transversely of the-web of paper are provided with longitudinally "spaced holes 24 or perforations through which a mixture of the air and gas may pass and burn above the hole outlets.

The main gas valve 2|, as aforestated, isaelectrically controlled, the electrical control mechanism being in the same circuit as the electrical connections leading to a driving motor 25 of the printing press. When the circuit to the motor- 25 is open, the circuit to the electrical mechanism for operating the main gas valve' 2l is :alsoop'en, causing such valve to'shut ofi the supply of gas to the header 2 2 and the branch-lines 23.

It is to be noted that the header 22 and branch lines 23 will contain a definite volume of gas and air following closing of "the main valve 2 I. This air and gas is suffici'ent to support combustionat the gas burner outlets -24 during the time that the paper II is coming to rest fo'llowing opening of thedrive motor circuit, slowing down the speed of travel of the paper web, and a ncwmg it's potential ignitionby the flames, which willcontinue burning until a substantial portion of the :gas

and an accumulation in the lines running from the main gas valve has been consumed. The present inventionavoid's the hazard pragtilting of chairing tneeaper we-h.

this purpose, each gas burner pipe l5, which is carried from the frame (not shown) of the printing press in suitable brackets 26, has a tubular closure or baffle 21 oscillatably mounted thereon and extending along substantially its entire length. Each closure member 2? is provided with a slot or opening 28 extending longitudinally throughout the length of the burner holes 24. The tubular member may be shifted to align its slot 28 with the burner holes 24, allowing the gas and air mixture to issue from the latter and support the flame, or, it may be shifted to a position in which the closure 21 covers the holes 2% and shuts off the gas and air flow.

The mechanism for selectively positioning the tubular closure or flame baflle 2'! in the manner described above may consist of an operating lever 29 secured to each tubular closure member, with its free end pivotally connected to a common rod 30 by means of a pin 3!. One end of this rod is, in turn, connected to an arm 32 of a bell crank lever 33 through a pin 34 and slot 35 connection, which lever is pivoted upon a pin 38 suitably secured to the frame of the press. ifhe other arm 3! of the. lever is connected to the plunger 38 of a solenoid 39 through a pin l0 and slot 4| connection, the solenoid coil being electrically connected in parallel with the main gas valve *2! and motor 25. Energization of the solenoid 39 pulls its plunger 38 inwardly of the coil and rocks the bell crank lever 33 in such direction as to shift the rod 36, the operating levers 29 and the closures 21 simultaneously to positions in which the longitudinal slots 28 through the tubular closure members are in alignment with the burner outlets 24, allowing the air and gas mixture to issue from the burners and sustain the fiame under the paper web il. This position of the closure members 21 is determined by engagement of a pin 12 secured to each burner with l the end of an arcuate slot 43 in each closure member 21. Deenergizing of the solenoid coil allows a tension spring 44 secured to the other end of the rod 38 to shift it in the opposite direction, rocking the operating levers 29 and the tubular closure members 21 on the gas burners It to positions determined by engagement of the pins 42 with the outer ends of the slots as, where the longitudinal openings 28 in the closure members are disaligned with the gas burner outlets 24, closing the latter and extinguishing the flames.

Normally, while the press is not running, the spring 44 maintains the tubular closure or baffle members 2'! in closed position over the burner outlets 24. Upon starting of the printing press, the main gas valve 21 and the solenoid 39 are energized to cause opening of the main gas valve and the shifting of the tubular closure members 27 to open position, allowing the gas to pass through the main valve '2! and into the header 2'. and branch lines 23 to support the flame on the burners l5. The gas flames can then perform the resulting operation on the wax carbon spots l9 printed on the web of paper H, or the drying operation of printed ink on the paper.

Immediately upon opening of the printing press motor circuit, the solenoid 39 is deenergized, which allows the spring 44 to move the tubular members 2i to closed positions over the burner outlets 2 3, immediately extinguishing the gas flames, and preventing their continued action on the web of paper, regardless of any accumulation of gases which may exist between the main gas .valve 2l and the burner outlets 2t. In this fashion, assurance is had against continued exposure of the slowly moving web, or completely arrested web, to flame action, preventing its charring and possible ignition.

Although particular reference has been made in this description to presses for printing wax carbon spots on a continuous web of paper, it is to be understood that the invention is applicable to presses for printing other matter on paper and similar materials, and that the paper and the like may be in sheet, as well as web, form.

Attention is directed to our application for Method and Apparatus for Applying W'ax Carbon Spots on Paper Sheets, Serial No. 772,674, filed September 8, 1947, which describes and claims the feature disclosed herein of heating the web with wax carbon compound applied thereto after it leaves the impression rolls, to obtain a uniform surface on each wax carbon spot devoid of high and low spots.

While we have illustrated and described our invention in detail, it is to be understood that various changes may be made therein by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A printing press, including means comprisin an electric motor for feeding paper, a burner having an outlet disposed adjacent the paper as it is being fed through the press for heating said paper, closure means adapted to close said outlet and completely extinguishing the flame at the outlet, and means in the same electric circuit as said motor for holding said closure means open in response to passage of current through said circuit, and means for shifting said closure means to outlet closing position upon opening of said circuit.

2. A printing press, including means comprising an electric motor for feeding paper through said press, a burner having an outlet disposed adjacent the paper as it is being fed through the press, closure means adapted to close said outlet and completely extinguishing the flame at the outlet, a solenoid connected in the same electric circuit as said motor, means connecting said solenoid with said closure means whereby said solenoid moves said closure means to open position in response to passage of current through said circuit, and a spring attached to said connecting means for shifting said closure means to outlet closing position upon opening of said circuit.

3. A printing press, including means comprising an electric motor for feeding paper through said press, a burner having an outlet disposed adjacent the paper as it is being fed through the press, closure means adapted to close said outlet and completely extinguishing the flame at the outlet, a main valve connected in the same electric circuit as said motor for determining the flow of gas to said burner, a solenoid connected in said circuit, means connecting said solenoid with said closure means, a spring attached to said connecting means, said main valve being in open position and said solenoid shifting said closure means to outlet opening position upon passage of current through said circuit, opening of said circuit enabling said main valve to close and said spring to shift said closure means to outlet closing position.

4. A printing press, including means comprising an electric motor for feeding paper through said press, a burner having an outlet disposed adjacent the paper as it is being fed through the press, tubular closure means disposed over said burner for selectively opening and closing said outlet to completely extinguish the flame at the outlet, a solenoid operatively connected to said means and connected in the same electric circuit as said motor, whereby said solenoid moves said closure means to open position in response to passage of current through said circuit, and a spring attached to said means for shifting it to outlet closing position upon opening of said circuit.

5. A printing press, including means comprising an electric motor for feeding paper through said press, a plurality of burners disposed adjacent the paper and having outlets from which gas may issue and burn for heating matter on said paper, a tubular closure member disposed over each burner for selectively opening and closing its outlet to completely extinguish the flame at the outlet, means connecting said members for simultaneous movement to open and closed positions, a solenoid operatively connected to said means and connected in the same electric circuit as said motor whereby said solenoid moves said closure members simultaneously to open position in response to passage of current through said circuit, and a spring attached to said means for shifting said members simultaneously to outlet closing position upon opening of said circuit.

WILLIAM F. BURKE. ROBERT L. ESSEX.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 993,034 Craig May 23, 1911 1,286,132 Smith Nov. 26, 1918 1,308,380 Tweedy July 1, 1919 2,127,956 Helmer Aug. 23, 1938 2,167,616 Willis July 25, 1939 2,329,857 Sammons Sept. 21, 1943 

